


I Saw Your Ex...

by BunnyJess



Category: DCU, Deathstroke the Terminator (Comics), Nightwing (Comics), Red Hood: Lost Days
Genre: Angst, Blended family, Bruce Wayne is Not a Good Person, Burns, Canon-Typical Violence, Dick Grayson is not a good person, Disassociation, Fluff, Gen, Good Parent Slade Wilson, Good Parent Talia al Ghul, Good Partner Slade Wilson, Happy Family, M/M, Mentions of Blood, Mentions of Injuries, PTSD, Panic Attacks, Past Abuse, Past Cheating, Past Domestic Violence, Promises, Scars, controlling Dick Grayson, mentions of Bruce Wayne - Freeform, no capes AU, past Jason Todd/Dick Grayson - Freeform, talking about domestic violence, talking about former relationships, violence towards spouse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-02
Updated: 2020-08-02
Packaged: 2021-03-05 22:34:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,405
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25672888
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BunnyJess/pseuds/BunnyJess
Summary: Slade and Jason are happy, against all odds and a very overprotective Talia they've found their own little corner of happiness. Every month they have Slade's three grown-up kids come round for dinner. It is usually one of the highlights of the month for Jason, for both of them. Then Joey mentions seeing Slade's ex while at work and a name Jason had locked away in his mind brings his history spinning into sharp relief. Should he tell Slade? Will Slade even believe him? Both are thoughts running through Jason's mind but he'll only get answers by talking to Slade.
Relationships: Jason Todd/Slade Wilson
Comments: 14
Kudos: 144





	I Saw Your Ex...

**Author's Note:**

  * For [dxs](https://archiveofourown.org/users/dxs/gifts), [dnky](https://archiveofourown.org/users/dnky/gifts).



> written for a prompt for my beautiful friend. I hope I've done it justice.

As was customary since they’d moved in together on the first Saturday of the month Slade and Jason would play host to Slade’s kids. Grant, Joey, and Rose arriving in the early afternoon and staying until close to midnight. With Jason’s job in a children’s home, Slade running the best security company in San Francisco, Grant’s private investigative work, Joey’s job as a CEO and Rose working for her dad it was the only time they could all get together. Even phone calls were difficult to schedule in.

This month had been like any other. They’d been sitting around enjoying a drink by the fire in the garden. Catching up on everything that had happened. Rose lamenting the fact that Slade was willing to get a dog now he had Jason when she’d bugged him for years during her childhood. Slade joking shooting back that Jason hadn’t asked hourly for six months straight and forced him to take work away from home just to escape the barrage of begging questions.

As with every Sunday they all got together Jason felt a sense of serenity. He had his adoptive mum’s family, only they travelled so much it made meeting up even more difficult. His last relationship hadn’t given him this. It hadn’t given him this calm, forcing him to stay on his toes anticipating the next hit or next scathing verbal attack.

That serenity wasn’t able to last this Sunday. It fractured with an innocent statement from Joey, wonderful Joey who felt love with his whole heart. Loving you completely and utterly and really making Jason feel part of the family.

“I saw your ex the other day Dad. His dad had sent him in his place, bloody Wayne. I’m sure his kids and the fox family are the only reason his company isn’t in the ground.” Annoyance colouring his tone.

No-one noticed how still Jason had gone. How he’d stopped breathing. Face paling as his mind pulled up every dreadful, horrific memories he’d long thought buried exploding like a volcano.

Joey continued ranting about dealing with Wayne Enterprise when Slade suddenly cut him off. Moving to kneel on the patio and take Jason’s hands in his. Startling his partner while he fought to hide a panic attack.

“Jace, Jace, come on Jason, I need you to breathe. Can you breathe for me? Look,” Slade pressed one of Jason’s hands against his chest, “just follow me.”

For ten minutes the group sat in relative silence. The only sound Jason’s wheezing breath and Slade’s low counting. Each minute that went by leading to Jason’s breathing sounding more controlled.

Blinking his eyes multiple times shame flooded through Jason making his cheeks heat and his hands to clench where they were still held in Slade’s. “I’m sorry,” he rasped out. Throat dry after such a long attack after having none for months.

“You’ve got nothing to be sorry about Jace. I’m going to take you upstairs and we can see the kids next month. We’ve been at this for awhile tonight and I want to get you tucked up in bed.” At Slade’s words his kids jumped up, patting Jason on the shoulder and waving at Slade as they trailed out the house.

Once alone Slade scooped Jason into his arms and carried him up to their room. Helping him into his softest sweats and his favourite of Slade’s t-shirts, then settling him under the blankets. Only moving away long enough to change into a similar outfit and sliding into his side of the bed to tug Jason into his arms and hold him close.

“Ask, I know you want to.” Jason said. Voice still a rasp despite the bottle of water Slade presses to his lips.

“I want to, but I don’t want to push you. Not after such a severe attack.” He pressed a kiss to the mop of black curls tucked under his chin. Jason’s hand absentmindedly tracing patterns through his white-silver chest hair.

Silence returned, this time lasting so long that Slade thought Jason had fallen asleep. Exhaustion winning out over whatever was playing through his mind.

“So I met my Ma when I was about eight. Scrappy, cocksure Narrows kid who thought he could jack the tyres off the Bentley and get away without being noticed. That’s not what ended up happening. Talia caught me, only instead of having me arrested and sent to juvie she called her lawyers and sort of paid off everyone she had to to foster me. Eventually that moved to adoption once I was settled and we’d started bonding.” Jason sighed, wistful and full of a longing for a bond still repairing. “We weren’t always so close. Everywhere she travelled I went with, that is until I went to college in New York and met the man I thought I’d settle down with.”

Jason shifted out of Slade’s hold. It might of felt safe but he doubted he’d make it through everything he had to say if his partner was holding him. Not pressuring him to talk, just silently supporting him as he did with everything Jason did.

“During my first semester I met Dick Grayson, eldest son of Gotham’s prince and adoption addict Bruce Wayne. For the first year it was everything I’d ever wanted. Our dates were fun; romantic walks through the park, hunting down random hole-in-the-wall restaurants for dinner, theatre trips and sporting events. Everything two sons of wealthy parents could do.” Jason shifted again, knees hitting his chest and arms wrapping tight around them. Left hand picking at the scars that mangled his right wrist. “I loved him so much and would have done whatever he asked of me. At least, back then I thought it was love. Now, here with you I know it was a dependence Dick built in me. Moulding me into his own personal punching bag.”

He gasped when a hand touched his lower back, so gentle yet so painful for its care.

“Did he hit you?” Slade’s voice had dropped. A cold, deadly thing that Jason jokes was his hitman voice.

“Not at first. When we moved in together in our second year he, he changed. He’d come home angry, always so angry. Spouting off all this bullshit he thought I’d done, or not done. He, he called me so many demeaning things.” Jason wiped at his eyes, hating how weak he felt. “Wh, when someone says that shit to you enough times, shouts it at you or slaps it into you, you end up believing it. I stopped seeing Roy and Artemis, had to destroy any thing related to Kyle because Dick was convinced I loved him instead.”

“About six months after moving in together he made me drop out of college. Apparently it’s embarrassing to have a partner who loves romantic classics. I had to stay home and ensure the flat was spotless, sheets changed and washed daily. Towels fluffy and soft. Every product he wanted kept stocked up so he wouldn’t complain. If something wasn’t to his liking he’d hit me. Slam me to the floor and whip me with his belt like my bio dad used to do. Choke me against a wall, then turning the tables to force an erection so he could call me a slut and fuck me into the floor.” Jason shuddered at the phantom pains. Rotating the shoulder that still occasionally gave him trouble.

He glances over at Slade and can see how murderous he now appears. The intent in that icy blue eye clear as day. Slade, unlike Dick, has never scared him. Until this very moment that is. It’s not fear for himself, it’s fear of just what Slade will do if he ever has to face Dick Grayson ever again.

“He’d apologise over and over. I, fuck,” Jason let out a hollow laugh, hand returning to pick at his scar. “I always swore I’d never be like Cath. I wouldn’t let someone knock me around or put me down and forgive them after an apology and bunch of flowers. Showed how far that apple didn’t fall.”

“It, none of it, is your fault. When I was with him, he was a quick fuck every couple days and we’d not see each other outside that. Hardly talked. He, oh fuck, I’m so sorry Jace,” Slade has gone as pale as Jason. Staring at him as if Dick hitting him is Slade’s fault. “He said he was busy with college and so couldn’t meet up too often.”

Jason laughs again, “only time that fucker was busy with college was when he could get some doe-eyed person to write all his assignments.” It’s after he’s uttered that that the implications of Slade’s words sink in.

“When did Joey lose his voice?” Jason asks it in such a small voice, eyes glued to his wrist that Slade gets a sinking feeling in his stomach.

He doesn’t question why Jason’s bringing up the attack that left Joey mute for a few months. “March 20th 2010.”

Jason gums and runs his fingers along the scar one last time then lifts his head and meets Slade’s gaze. “You cancelled on him that weekend didn’t you?” At Slade nod Jason’s fingers dance back to his wrist unconsciously. “Yeah, figures. That Friday he went off on one calling me a stupid kid who couldn’t fight his way out of a wet paper bag. I’d been cooking a stew, last one before spring really hit y’know. He grabbed it and threw it at me. I managed to avoid taking the liquid to the face, threw up my arm to deflect it. Third degree burns all down my back and a compound fracture to my wrist. Apparently it’s difficult to be healthy when you’re living under constant stress and your wrist had only been broken a couple months before. He fled and I called my neighbour. Next thing I knew Ma was sat at my bedside and I’d been flown out of New York for my safety. Bruce put Dick in rehab for anger management and paid the police to forget the whole thing.”

Slade can’t control it anymore. He launches himself across the bed and pulls Jason into his arms. Tears soak Slade’s shirt and he can feel his own soaking Jason’s hair. Guilt makes him nauseous. The feeling reaching a point where he just manages to grab the bin they keep beside their bed and hurl into it.

He caused that. He caused the coma Jason had told him about, the scars he’d hated until Slade had spent countless hours mapping every one and building his confidence back up. He’d caused Jason to be never cook stew of any kind, despite Talia telling him it used to be one of Jason’s favourite foods. Even chilli comes too close on his worst days.

“Jace,” he croaks out. “I am so fucking sorry. He, he never said he had someone and, fuck. If you’ll let me I will spend the rest of my life making it up to you, showing you how sorry I am for causing those injuries to you.”

Looking over his partner, the only person he’s been romantically or sexually attracted to since Dick, he can’t help feeling confusion. “Did you throw the boiling liquid that melted my back or the pot that broke my wrist?”

Only once Slade shakes his head does Jason continue. “Did you attack your son and slit his throat?”

Again Slade shakes his head. “Have you ever given me a reason to fulfil the promise I made my Ma and call her if I need out for any reason?”

Another head shake. “Does Joey still see you and clearly hate Dick as much as I suspect you’re now hating yourself?”

This time Slade pauses then laughs, a deep thing coming from the very depths of his chest. “My boy really does hate him now doesn’t he.” There is a twinkle in Jason’s eye that makes Slade narrow his. “What?”

“Talia might have informed Lex exactly why she was pulling out of the East Coast and has informed every business she’s dealt with since exactly why she won’t work with any subsidiary of Wayne Enterprise. Rumour is a very powerful thing. Joey might not know it’s because of Ma that he hates Dick, but he certainly knows what he’s like.” That spark Jason had been missing since Joey mentioned Grayson is back, twinkling in his eye.

It makes sense, to Slade, that the only place Dick Grayson-Wayne can find work is with Bruce’s company. No-one is willing to hire someone who might potentially anger one of the richest women in the world. She might have not been that rich ten years ago when she was more focused on her son. Ten years is a long time though, she’s become the first woman billionaire and has taken every company she’s touched from strength to strength. The workers are paid well above the living wage, get proper holiday allowances, and maternity/paternity leave. They work twice as hard for her because of all she does for them.

He makes a mental note to tell Joey to pull any and all contracts where the Wayne family are involved. He won’t run the risk of his brilliant son losing his reputation, or all the hard work he’s done for his mum’s company, because of an abusive ass and his overprotective father. Then again, is Bruce really overprotective of Dick or his bottom line Slade wonders.

Swilling his mouth out with the water bottle, Slade spits then settles back into the pillows. Jason automatically curling up against him. This time crawling into his lap and being encompassed by Slade’s bulk. Strong arms making it feel like the safest place in the world.

He still resolves to spend the rest of his life showing Jason how wonderful he is, seeing as the other man won’t allow him to spend the rest of his life apologising for something he didn’t know and couldn’t control. Jason is the best damn person to happen to him in a long time, aside from his kids, he won’t ever let the man feel as afraid as he felt with Grayson. Even if he has to ask his grandfather to contact some old SAS buddies of his to handle it. No-one hurts Slade’s family and gets to carry on with life without consequence.

**Author's Note:**

> If you want to complain that "Dick isn't like that" just remember he flipped out and beat joker to death in blind anger.


End file.
